Getting there: you are closer to your destination than you think

The first day of a holiday often sets the mood for the whole week. Anyone travelling with children counts not in kilometres but in minutes of whining – and this is exactly where the region between Split and Trogir has an advantage that is rarely advertised loudly.

By air: the airport is right on the doorstep

Flughafen Split (SPU) has a slightly misleading name. It is not in Split at all, but in Kaštela, around 20 kilometres west of the city, between Trogir and the Kaštela villages. For families staying in Kaštel Stari, that makes one of the shortest transfers on the entire Adriatic: a drive of a few minutes instead of a two-hour coach ride with tired children. Bus routes connect the airport with Split, Kaštela and Trogir; with a pushchair, a travel cot and suitcases, however, a hire car is usually the calmer option – and you will need one anyway (more on that later).

By car: the route through Austria and Slovenia

The classic overland route to Croatia runs through Austria and Slovenia. The different toll systems are worth knowing about:

• Austria and Slovenia use vignettes. The Slovenian vignette is purely digital and linked to your number plate – there is nothing to stick on the windscreen any more; you buy it online in advance or at a petrol station. There is no sticker to show, as checks are carried out via the number plate.
• Croatia has no vignette. Tolls are charged per section of motorway: you take a ticket when you join and pay in cash or by card when you leave. Frequent drivers use the electronic ENC transponder. A barrier-free digital system has been announced for March 2027 – until then the ticket procedure stays.
• On summer Saturdays, longer queues build up at the Croatian toll stations and at the border. Families with children therefore like to schedule the final leg for the early morning hours.

Ferries and island trips

Ferries run from Split to the offshore islands all year round. The crossing to Supetar on Brač takes about 50 minutes – a realistic day trip even with small children. Our advice from experience: in high summer, travel as a foot passenger. Car ferries mean waiting times in peak season, and without a car the excursion starts far more calmly.

Beaches with a gentle entry into the water

Dalmatia is a coast of pebbles and rock, not sand dunes. The Bay of Kaštela, however, is one of the friendlier stretches: the water is shallow, sheltered and warms up early in the year. A long promenade runs along the coast, and a pushchair rolls along it without trouble.

• Šumica scores with old trees and therefore with natural shade – by far the most important feature of all if you are travelling with toddlers.
• Baletna škola is considered the family-friendly classic in Kaštela, with calm water and cafés within walking distance.
• Resnik towards the airport offers a mix of pebbles and sand, and plenty of space.
• Towards Trogir, Pantan is worth the trip for its pine shade; further west lie the larger beaches near Medena and on the island of Čiovo.

Water shoes are not excessive caution but standard equipment – for children and adults alike. If you are travelling with a baby or toddler, you will find more detail in our guide Holidays with a baby in Croatia.

Villa with a private pool or hotel? An honest comparison

We rent out villas and still have no interest in selling you something that does not suit your family. So here are both sides.

What speaks for having your own villa

• The afternoon nap actually works. A darkened room in your own house, no thin hotel wall, no noise from the corridor. For families with children under four, this is often the decisive point.
• Your own kitchen. Porridge at half past six, pasta with no waiting, leftovers in the fridge. No jostling at the buffet, no fixed meal times, no debates about dessert.
• A washing machine. It sounds trivial. It isn't. You travel with considerably less luggage if you can do a wash twice a week.
• The evening is yours. When the children are asleep at eight, you sit on your own terrace with a glass of wine – instead of taking turns holding out in a dark hotel room.
• A private pool. No battle for sunloungers, no other people's children, and you can see at any moment who is in the water. In the afternoon heat it is often worth more than the beach.
• The dog can come too. Pets are welcome in selected properties – you will find the conditions on our page Holidays with pets.

Where a hotel is the better choice

• You need a car. Without a hire car, a villa holiday in Kaštel Stari becomes inconvenient. Shopping, day trips, a visit to the doctor – everything runs on wheels.
• You cater for yourselves. There is no breakfast buffet. Anyone who fundamentally does not want to cook or shop on holiday is better off in a hotel.
• No entertainment programme, no kids' club. Older children who find company in a hotel within the hour may get bored more quickly in a villa. You are the programme.
• No room service, no reception at three in the morning. We are reachable, but we are not sitting in a lobby.

Our experience after many seasons: families with children up to around ten almost always benefit from a villa. Families with teenagers who are looking for company should weigh it up honestly. You will find an overview of our houses under Villas with a private pool.

Day trips that really work with children

Trogir: an old town in child-sized format

Trogir's UNESCO old town sits on a small island, is car-free and can be crossed in barely an hour – exactly the right size for short legs. A pushchair copes with the cobblestones, though not silently; a buggy with slightly larger wheels has the advantage. The Cathedral of St Lawrence with its bell tower of around 47 metres and the Kamerlengo fortress are the two classics, although the climb up the tower is not for very small children. Park before the bridges on the mainland, not on the old town island. And go in the morning or the late afternoon – at midday the heat stands still between the stone walls.

Krka National Park: beautiful, but it needs planning

Krka National Park is a good hour from Kaštela via the A1 motorway and by far the most popular nature trip in the region. There are two things you should know beforehand: swimming at Skradinski buk is no longer permitted – anyone arriving in swimwear for that famous photo spot will be disappointed. Elsewhere in the park, for example at Roški slap, a dip is still possible. And the circular trail of around two kilometres runs almost entirely over wooden boardwalks with many steps: pushchairs make no sense here, a baby carrier is the better solution. In season, a free boat runs from Skradin to the waterfalls; the walk takes about an hour.

Water, boats and rainy days

For a pure afternoon of fun, it is worth heading towards Šibenik, where the Aquapark Dalmatia sits at the Amadria Park – now with a covered area, which makes it interesting even when the weather turns. Please check opening times and prices with the operator on the day. Boat trips to the Blue Lagoon near Drvenik Veli are popular too: shallow, very clear water, ideal for children. In high summer, book a smaller tour rather than a large excursion boat – shorter journey times, less waiting, more shade.

Health, heat and sea urchins

Medical care in the region is good. Kaštela has health centres and pharmacies (ljekarna in Croatian), and the large KBC Split hospital with its children's department is around 20 minutes away by car. If you are insured within the EU, bring your European Health Insurance Card; travellers from outside the EU should arrange travel health insurance before departure.

• Emergency numbers: 112 (general, multilingual), 194 ambulance, 192 police, 193 fire brigade. Breakdown assistance from the Croatian automobile club HAK: 1987.
• Sea urchins sit on rocky stretches and are the most common holiday nuisance. Water shoes prevent almost every incident. If it does happen: remove the spines with tweezers, bathe the spot in warm water (around 40 degrees) for 30 to 60 minutes, disinfect it – and see a doctor if fragments are lodged deep or there are signs of infection.
• Heat: In July and August there is little to be gained between midday and 4 pm. Beach in the morning, pool and shade in the afternoon, a stroll through town in the evening – this rhythm saves the mood of the whole family. A hat, a water bottle and a sun sail over the loungers matter more than any additional sightseeing stop.

How best to plan

Book early if you are travelling with several families in peak season – larger houses with a private pool are often taken for July and August as early as the winter. Tell us in advance how old your children are: a travel cot, a high chair, a pool fence or a particular bedroom can usually be organised if we know in good time. Because you book directly with the owner, you talk to us and not to a call centre. We are happy to answer questions via our contact page – in English or German, and usually the same day.